• Pressure cook vazhakka till soft. Peel it and mash them with a fork to small pieces, keep aside.

 

 

•  In a pan dry roast Chillies, urad dal, coriander seeds, fennel seeds. When it is done add grated coconut to this and fry for 2 mins. Add tamarind to this and grind in a mixie to a coarse powder.

 

• In a pan heat gingelly oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When it splutters add chopped onion and saute well. 

 

• Then add the turmeric pdr and mashed vazhakka to this. Mix well and add the powdered masala to this mix well. Simmer for 2 mins and remove from fire.

 

• Remove from fire, transfer to a serving dish.  Vazhakka podimas ready! A tasty side dish for rice!!
  

Ingredients:

• Baby Potatoes                  : 1/2 kg
• Shallots                           : 6 nos
• Chilli powder                  : 2 tsp
• Coriander pdr                  : 1 tsp
• Turmeric pdr                   : 1/4 tsp
• Garlic                              : 3 cloves 
• Cumin seeds                    : 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil                                  : 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves                   : 1 sprig

 

• 1 no. big Beetroot
• 1 Onion
• 1 tsp Sambhar pdr
• A pinch of Turmeric pdr
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

• Peel and wash the beetroot well. Cut it into small pieces.
• Chop onion finely.
• Heat oil in a tawa, add mustard seeds, let it crackle and add onion pieces to it. Saute it well and add the chopped beetroot , turmeric pdr and  salt,  sprinkle little water to it and cook till tender.
• Sprinkle  sambhar powder over it and mix well. Simmer it for a few mins and switch off the stove. Transfer it to a serving bowl, serve with steamed rice!

• 1 pc Unnithandu (plantain stem)            
• 1/4 cup Cherupayar ( green gram)               
• 1/4 cup Grated coconut                                
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds                                  
• 2 nos. Red chillies  broker into 2                 
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Raw rice                                            
• 2 tbsp Oil                                                      
• 1 sprig  Curry leaves                                     

• Unnithandu (approximately 1/2 foot size)  should be cut into small pieces and soak it in water to avoid discolourisation.
• Cook the cherupayar adding a little salt till soft. You can even cook in a pressure cooker.  It should be cooked till soft but should not  be mushy.  Remove extra water if it is there,  keep aside. 
• Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, rice and broken chillies  let it splutter, 
• Remove the unnithandu pieces from water and add this to the kadai. Add salt and  turmeric pdr . Close the lid. let it cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Now open the lid and add the cooker cherupayar, saute it for a while till the water absorbs. Add the grated coconut to this, mix well.
• Switch off the stove. Its a tasty side dish for steamed rice!!

Brinjal/Eggplant                       : 1cubed

Onion                                       : 1chopped

Chilli pdr                                  :1/2 tsp

Green chilli                              : 1 slit lenghtwise

Oil                                            : 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Cut egg palnt into small cubes and put it in water.

Heat oil in a kadai, add chopped onion and saute it.  Add green chilli and cubed brinjal. 

Saute for a while add salt and chilli pdr, mix well. Sprinkle little water and close it for 2 or 3 minutes.

Open the lid and stir it, keep it for some more time in a reduced flame.  

Remove from the fire and serve it as a side dish for steamed rice.

Sweet potato                              : 1 big

Turmeric pdr                              : 1/4 tsp

Onion                                         : 1 big

Red chillies                                : 5 nos

Salt to taste

Oil                                             : 2 tbsp

Wash,  peel and cut sweet potato  into cubes. 

Crush chillies and onion and keep aside. 

Take a kadai cook sweet potato adding little water,  salt and turmeric pdr.  Close it with a lid and let it cook and the water get absorbed.  Now add the crushed chilli and onion to this,  drizzle oil from the sides, mix slowly. reduce the flame and fry it for a few minutes.
Switch off the flame and serve it as a side dish for steamed rice. 

Chena (yam)                                 : 1/4 kg

Vellappayar (black eyed beans)    : 1/2 cup

Onion                                            : 1

Turmeric pdr                                 : 1/8 tsp

Chilli pdr                                       : 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil                                                 : 1 tbsp

Curry leaves                                  : 1 sprig

Soak vellappayar for 10 mins. Then cook it in a pressure cooker till it become soft, drain the excess water and keep aside.

Cut chena into small cubes. Wash it and cook it adding little salt, turmeric pdr  and water.

Chop onion into small pieces.

Heat oil in  a kadai add chopped onions and saute it for a minute, add curry leaves, chilli pdr and fry for a few seconds and add the cooked chena and vellappayar to that mix well. Check for salt. add if necessary and fry for 2 or 3 minutes. Switch  off the flame. Transfer to a serving bowl. Have it with steamed rice as a side dish.

Ladies finger (Vendakka)         : 6 nos

Onion                                       : 1

Garlic                                       : 2 cloves

Green chillies                           : 2 nos

Chilli pdr                                  : 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Yoghurt                                    : 1 tsp

Turmeric pdr                            : 1/4 tsp

Oil                                            : 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds                            : a pinch

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan add the vendakka and saute it for 3 minutes. Add yoghurt to this  and mix well. Remove from fire.

Heat the remaining oil in a kadai add cumin seeds, when it pops up add chopped garlic and green chillies to that, sautee it till the raw smell goes.  Add chopped onion to this and saute it  well and add chilli pdr, turmeric pdr salt and finally the sauteed vendakka. Mix well and simmer it till it changes the colour to brown colour.

Kothavarakka usually  grows in clusters,  the pods are flat and slim in green colour. 

Kothavarakka                     ; 100 gms

Mustard seeds                    : 1 tsp

Red chillies                        : 2 nos

Urad dal                             : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pdr                      : 1/8 tsp

Grated coconut                  : 1/2 cup

Cooked tur dal                  : 2 tbsp

Oil                                     : 1 tbsp

Curry leaves                      : 1 sprig

Wash and cut  kothavarakka into very small pieces.

Cook tur dal,  it should not be mushy and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a tawa,  add mustard seeds. When it pops up, add urad dal, break red chillies and add that too.  Add curry leaves and  chopped kothavarakka to this. Add salt, turmeric pdr and 1/4 cup water to this and let it cook till the water got  absorbed.   Add cooked dal and coconut to this.

Drizzle some more oil and stir it well, simmer for 3 more minutes and switch off the the fire.

Kothavarakka upperi is ready, goes well with steamed rice!!

Kaypakka                       : 1no(big)

Turmeric pdr                  : 1/4 tsp

Chilli pdr                       : 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Onion                            : 1

Oil                                 : 2tbsp

Wash and cut kaypakka into small pieces.  Chop onion finely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a tawa and add chopped onion and saute for a while. Then add the kaypakka, salt , turmeric pdr and chilli pdr to this.   Add little water to this and close it with a lid, let it cook till the water get absorbed.  Open the lid and stir it well, keep it in a low flame, till it changes colour into light brown.  Goes well  with steamed rice or curd rice!

Kollu (horsegram)           : 1 cup

Red chillies                      : 4 nos

Shallots                            : 8nos

Salt to taste

Oil                                    : 2tsp

Clean and wash the horse gram. Pressure cook it adding enough water and salt till it is soft.

Crush chillies and shallots together.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the crushed chillies and saute well. Then add the cooked kollu to this and mix well. Saute it well, add some more oil if necessary. Serve it with steamed rice!